Terms and Conditions

Our commitment to you

The PSA is committed to being member-centred in all our activities through:

identifying members’ priorities and building power through member engagement and recruitment;

ensuring links between members, local workplace groups and departmental committees are built and or strengthened to ensure member engagement and involvement in whole of department issues;

democratic collective bargaining, and negotiating proposals that reflect the interests of membership as a whole, through research and consultation with members;

ensuring timely communication with members including a variety of communication technologies in keeping with member preference and usage.

In solidarity

The PSA offers support through a number of different avenues. In most instances, workplace delegates can provide advice and support to assist with resolving workplace and individual issues or concerns at a local level.

If you have exhausted the guidelines available at your workplace for resolving workplace issues, as a PSA member you may wish to contact our Member Support Centre (MSC) on 1300 772 679.

Registering your issue with the MSC is the first step in the process of attempting to satisfactorily and fairly resolve your issue if all other attempts have failed.

The MSC team will treat you with respect and handle your matter professionally, efficiently and fairly. Your matter will be triaged and if necessary referred to an experienced member of our Industrial staff.

You are responsible for providing the MSC team with a clear idea of the problem, the solution you are seeking and providing the MSC with all the relevant information you have (or know about) at the beginning, including any relevant documentation.

You are expected to treat PSA staff with respect and cooperate with us in resolving your matter.

Delivering outcomes

In order for the PSA to focus resources on delivering a positive outcome for the greatest number of members we currently triage calls using the following principles:

When members contact the Member Support Centre, our staff will discuss how we can assist to resolve the issue(s) raised.

For every issue, the PSA will assess, on behalf of all our members, what can and can’t be done, in respect to the issue(s).

For example, we cannot assist if the member is not a financial member of the PSA. Limited assistance is provided to issues that arose prior to joining the PSA.

If an issue needs escalating to an Industrial Officer, this will occur in a timely fashion.

Court, Commission or Tribunal proceedings on your behalf

On occasion it may be that a particular matter cannot be resolved and the PSA may undertake Court, Commission or Tribunal proceedings on your behalf.

In respect to such proceedings:

The PSA exercises its own discretion as to whether it will undertake Court, Commission or Tribunal proceedings on your behalf.

The PSA may, in its discretion, decline to act on your behalf in the event that you either decline to conciliate or refuse an offer the PSA considers reasonable and in the range of conciliation outcomes.

In limited circumstances costs can be ordered against you. The PSA will not pay such costs.

The PSA will review its continued involvement in the matter having reviewed documents and/or witness statements submitted by the employer.

You will cooperate with the processes put in place by the PSA and/or the Court, Commission or Tribunal including making yourself reasonably available for interviews for the purpose of either conciliation or the preparation of witness statements.

The PSA will not cover any travelling expenses or any forfeited earning in either attending before the Court, Commission or Tribunal for any purpose or in attending for interview. These expenses will not be recovered in any order of the Court, Commission or Tribunal.

You are obligated to continue paying your PSA fees throughout proceedings.

It is at the sole discretion of the PSA whether the PSA shall authorize the expenditure of any monies for the purpose of providing assistance in either the preparation or presentation of a claim by persons who are legally qualified.

Pre-existing issues

The PSA commits to utilising our resources to advance the interests of our current membership.

The PSA assists members who face both individual workplace issues and where there is an issue affecting a number of members, such as a restructure and bargaining. Members are able to seek advice from our Member Support Centre in the first instance.

Where there are individual pre-existing issues or disputes that are currently occurring general advice and guidance will be provided. Those pre-existing matters that lead to the necessity for Court, Commission or Tribunal proceedings will be at the discretion of the PSA Executive and decisions are made on a case by case basis.

Committing to your union

As a member of the Public Service Association of New South Wales:

You agree to be bound by the Rules and By-Laws of the Association;

You nominate and authorise the Association to act as your representatives for all purposes (including negotiation) associated with any agreement that may be proposed to regulate the terms and conditions of your employment (current or future);

You have read and understood the information relating to financial obligations arising from membership under the Financial Obligations of PSA Membership section of this document;

You have read and understood the circumstances and manner in which you may resign your membership under the Maintaining your membership section of this document.

Financial obligations of PSA membership

You will ensure that the account details provided to the PSA are identical to the account details held by your bank or financial institution.

You will ensure that you have sufficient funds or credit available in the nominated account on the due date for payment of your fees.

You will let the PSA know in writing within 14 days if the nominated account is altered, transferred or closed.

You will be responsible to ensure that the amounts debited/charged to your nominated account for your PSA fees are correct.

If the charging arrangements are stopped by you or your nominated bank or financial institution, you will arrange a suitable alternative payment method with the PSA.

Resignation from the Association must be notified according to the section Maintaining your Membership. Repayments will not be made for late notifications.

The PSA will debit/charge your membership fees as they fall due. However, if this falls on a non-business day, they will be debited/charged on the next business day.

The PSA will only use this authority to debit/charge regular fees. If you miss a payment, it will be picked up in the following period, i.e. two instalments will be taken out.

Should you resign your membership, the PSA undertakes to cease debiting your account upon the termination of the written notice period, in accordance with the section Maintaining your Membership.

The PSA will act in accordance with our Privacy Statement, while noting that your financial institution may require such information to be provided in connection with a claim made on it relating to an alleged incorrect or wrongful debit. The PSA will notify any changes to union fees in its journal, “Red Tape”. The PSA will investigate and promptly deal with any queries, claims or complaints regarding debits/charges and provide a response within 21 days of receipt.

Maintaining your membership

There are occasions when members consider leaving the PSA. This may be for a variety of reasons, including retirement, ceasing employment or for other reasons.

If you are ceasing employment or retiring, you can terminate your membership by sending notice of resignation in writing to the Membership Team at PSA Headquarters or by e-mail to membership@psa.asn.au Retired members may choose to become Associates of the PSA.

If you are considering leaving the PSA for any other reason, we would like to hear from you to see if we can help to resolve any issues. Please contact Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679 in the first instance.

You may resign your membership when either you cease to work in an area covered by the Association or by giving 14 days notice in writing of your intention to resign to the General Secretary. Resignation from the PSA will also be taken as resignation from the CPSU (SPSF Group), subject to confirmation. Resignation from the CPSU (SPSF Group) can be by notice in writing of two weeks or more, such notice being delivered to the NSW Branch Secretary of the CPSU (SPSF Group). Please note that you are obliged to pay any dues owing to the PSA up to the date of effect of the resignation and that fees are only refundable on resignation from the PSA with the endorsement of the PSA Executive.

Privacy statement

The PSA is committed to protecting the privacy of our members. The PSA complies with National Privacy Principles (Privacy Act 1988) and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP) (available at www.ipc.nsw.gov.au) Member information will be handled and used in accordance with those Principles. Members have the right to request access to their personal information and request that it be updated or corrected.